Baby, it's SO COLD outside.

Are there ever days when all you really need is a nice, musical pick-me-up? Not something thrashy and loud, not something too cutesy, but a band or artist that will give you that nice, glow-y, "I just fell in love today" feeling? Something to chase away those it's-cold-as-ice-and-only-getting-colder blues? Well, today is your lucky day.

The Love Language

These North Carolina natives sure know how to tug on the heartstrings. Their vaguely lo-fi, gritty indie-folk-rock sound is such a pleasure after the truly grungy (and sometimes just downright awful) straight-up 4-track sounds of the past several years. After a good listen, you may be inspired to believe that springtime is right around the corner...even in the dead of winter. Just be sure to spread all that sunshine around; it's Christmastime, after all!

(The author would like to note that if you're REALLY feeling Christmas-cheery, she'd definitely appreciate some nice hot chocolate right about now. It's flippin' cold here.)

In the violet hour.

Occasionally (ok, fine, very very very rarely), I'll stumble across something in the Bright Eyes/Decemberists genre (and yes, they are in the same genre; don't fight me on this) that I can actually recommend without feeling like I've somehow betrayed the aforementioned artists. As everyone knows, folky-indie-rock-y-experimental-y-pop tends to come out pretentious and ridiculously forced...so it is with extreme trepidation that I present for your inspection

Sea Wolf

Now, they've been around since 2003...and are currently signed to Dangerbird Records. But having released the glorious album White Water, White Bloom just a mere 3 months ago entitles them to a mention...as well as the ridiculously catchy "Violet Hour" which I currently can't get out of my head. Beautiful, beautiful stuff. If Conor Oberst lost just a tad of his freaky-genius vibe and mellowed out his tone a bit, you'd end up with these guys. And let's just be honest: everyone's been hoping that C.O. would do both of those things for years, so it's a good thing we've got Sea Wolf.

Gold and Warm, and Happy Thanksgiving.

Occasionally, I get on this dance-rock kick. It's a very difficult kick to get off of, so I try not to get wrapped up in it too terribly often...lately though, Franz Ferdinand and The Killers have been circling through my speakers more than anything else. I'm not ashamed to admit that :) However, I was scoping out Daytrotter (which, if you haven't checked it out yet, you really should. I highly recommend their Death Cab, Blitzen Trapper, and Bon Iver sessions) and stumbled across this duo from Cincinnati, who sound like a much milder, more intellectual version of The Killers on their very best day:

Bad Veins

This duo's music is fantastically honest. It's dance-y, it's precious, it's great pop packaged as cinematic indie dance-rock. They're on a Daytrotter-sponsered tour, co-headlining with The Subjects, and doing quite well. Their single, "Gold and Warm" is so charming that I hesitate to forward a better candidate for the top of my New Year's day playlist (look forward to that in a month or so!).

I Think It's Best If I Leave...

So sometimes, when it rains, you just need to listen to some 4-track goodness. This week has been a nice, misty one, in the best tradition of a Northwest November...hence my pick of the day:

It's True!

Lo-fi mellowness, with catchy lyrics and fantastic layers of sound. It's sweet, it's tongue-in-cheek, and honestly, I probably wouldn't have listened at all but for the wit of the titles on their double EP released this year: "There, there, now...I think it's best if I leave." However, once I heard a minute or two, I was hooked. Check it out, you definitely won't be disappointed.

I Must Have A Thing For England

Seriously, if I believed in reincarnation I would swear I was British in a past life. Every single time I hear something I like, I find out it's from the UK. And with the British (Second) Invasion still in full swing, there's always another great release coming from those crazy Isles. Here's one for the books (hailing from Austin, TX by way of Sheffield, UK):

Stoney

It's like the Shins time-traveled to meet the Beatles and picked up another 16 instruments along the way, except this is all done as a one-man band. Trance-y, catchy, sweet, and cynical by turns, it's no wonder that I put it on repeat. Not only that, but pick up his sophomore release and realize that this isn't a "sophomore slump" kind of album. This is the stuff that U2's or Coldplay's are made of. I heartily recommend "Morning After" and "One of You". Great tunes for a lazy Tuesday.

It's been a long, long time.

And it's been an interesting 7 or 8 months...I don't want to get too exact on you all. Finished school, moved into an amazing house with SIX other girls, started an executive position with a very large national corporation, moved into my very own house by myself, left the executive position and moved back in with my parents. And now, at long long last, I am back in the place that I secretly always wanted to be but always outwardly railed against selling out to move back to: Portland. And it's a wet, wonderful, welcoming fall, filled with good food, early nights, lots of job searching, and once again, blogging. I'm looking forward to the music scene with an intensity rivaled only by my love of all things chocolate (speaking of which, had some amazing Valrhona the other day...). That being said, I was having brunch with my very pregnant sister-in-law yesterday and fell into conversation with our waiter about his band. He gave me a card; I took a listen. I actually liked what I heard (thank you Portland!).

The Woodlands

This husband/wife duo is mellow, melodic, and all things fantastic when you want a band to play a house party but don't want your house trashed by mosh-pit participants at the end of it. Very sparkling-wine-and-designer-cheeses-while-the-rain-falls types. Gotta love it. Oh, and did I mention that they're Filter's unsigned band of the month? I'm glad I'm home.

Neglect.

Sorry for the absence, guys. Getting towards graduation has caused me to neglect this (and everything else!). However, I'm still digging up some great things, don't worry!

I think it's about time I wrote about one of my good friends. I've watched her songwriting develop for 4 years, and she just keeps getting better and better. Her songs are catchy, honest, deep but lighthearted at the same time, and tackle real-life issues with humor, wit, and delicacy.
You simply have to sing along when she covers songs from Sesame Street or Feist (who she sounds remarkably like!), but her original material truly stands out.

Faith Hefty

One of my personal favorites? "Always On My Mind" (but only available as a live video on her YouTube, so far...although apparently a new EP is forthcoming). It's what Patsy Cline would write if she was cool and Bohemian.

It's been way, way too long.

Well, folks, this last month has been insane (hence the incredible lack of posts), and with mid-terms, this week is no exception. However, I feel as if I've denied you wonderful new music long enough! So...here is the latest installment:

The Necronauts

Strangely enough, they remind me of The Shins back when they first got their start...and it's no wonder. With their lazy vocals, edgy orchestration and experimental vibe, they're well on their way to having the indie community's ears.

Now...to get them out of Phoenix.... :D

Apparently, Casey is my biggest musical influence.

Lately I've been listening to a genre I never really had any interest in before this year: Indie-Electronica.Now, I have to qualify this by stating that most of this genre is completely and hideously awful and I'm amazed that people still buy and listen to half of it. Unfortunately, with the advent of affordable [music recording, mixing, and editing] technology, every half-emo-scene-kid with a huge chunk of time on their hands and no discernable talent can foist his or her horrendous "poetry" on the world, complete with pre-set loops and way too much auto-tune. However, occasionally one does come across something worth mentioning in this catagory (see my entry on "Owl City" and please go look up LA's dynamic duo "The Bird and The Bee"), and that is my pick today:

Swimming With Dolphins

This duo has some seriously catchy, un-self-consciously original electronic happiness going on here. They do what they do really well and make it fun to dance to in the bargain. A listen through "Everything's a Miracle" is certainly well worth your time.

A genre I don't normally cover.

Ok, so you guys know that I don't usually deal in generic pop-rock. However, I just can't stop listening to these guys and I wanted to share.

The Jim Ivins Band

They successfully combine their "down-home", folky roots (they're from Richmond, VA) with some great power-pop to create truly enjoyable tracks. They're small...but definitely have the potential to go somewhere HUGE.

Wow, life comes at ya fast...

It's been one insane week here, and it's not over yet...mostly because the weather is hovering closer to 90 degrees than anything else lately in LA. It's a strange feeling. It feels like it should be May or June. Wearing shorts in January is just not right. At any rate, on to the music.

Andy Zipf

This guy is actually more famous than you would think. He's based out of DC, but his music has garnered attention from some of the more famous American publications and news media broadcasts. He sounds a bit like Amos Lee, at least in the overall approachability of the sound he creates, but he is more diverse and honestly, I think he's more talented. I could see his music being used on soundtracks very easily, but it's also the kind of melodic folky-indie-rock that I'd pop into my CD player when it's a gray day and I wanted something happy that wouldn't distract from the overall melancholy of the clouds. Listen to "Find You". It's catchier than even I would care to admit.

Oh, to be a Portlander!

I love the Portland music scene; nowhere else in the world will you find so many people going about their regular lives that just happen to play incredible music in their downtime. They do it because they love it, and it makes Portland one of the best cities to discover new, REALLY talented bands and artists in. Talent doesn’t flock here, like in so many other cities. It is born here.

On that note, take a listen to

Canoe

Their beautiful, simply-woven melodic folk stories are an absolute joy to listen to no matter what kind of mood you’re in (well, unless you’re really angsty…they’re not so great for that.). In a coffee shop, on your Ipod, or drifting gently down through the speakers in a small boutique on NW 23rd, Canoe is perfect for nearly any occasion, and leaves you longing for a simpler, more child-like existence.

Picky can be good.

I'm very picky when it comes to new talent. Sometimes, it takes me weeks of searching to find something I think is worth mentioning (despite the absolute saturation of the market with up-and-coming "talent"). Here is a band I am truly surprised I didn't stumble across earlier:

Kinch

Kinch is the kind of band that is poised right on the brink of something fantastic, and so far, haven’t garnered too much major-label attention. They’re obviously well-managed and well-promoted, and seem to have a true sense of where they’ve been and where they’re going. They’ve played with bands like The Format and Dear and the Headlights, and are currently touring, as well as performing at SXSW this year. I feel as if they've amassed all the credentials, and are just lacking the catalyst that’s going to push them onto the main stage of indie bands. Their sound is honed and polished, appealing while still being edgy enough to be different, and with a soothing vintage vibe thrown in the mix. In other words, this is a band that has way too much going for them to be ignored by the majors much longer. They are definitely my pick for the group that is going to be snatched by a major label within the next 6 months.

Sorry for the prolonged silence...

It is officially the new year. Wow. 2009 already? It will take me at least until March to stop writing '08 on everything. I've been busy, which is why I haven't posted in a while...but I think I've found a band you all might like.

The Foxglove Hunt

This duo produces wonderfully trance-y, ambient new-wave pop. It always reminds me of great European club mixes from the late 80's. What could possibly be better than that? Plus, these slightly-nerdy guys have the actual musical chops to make it. They've taken something kitsch and made it really cool. They're playing with the likes of Dear and The Headlights (if you haven't heard them, you're way behind the times, on top of missing out) and are garnering some real recognition. Keep one eye on them, they just might surprise you.